Clásico Nacional Wins the Ratings Battle

In a time when cable channels are losing subscribers to all manner of other content providers, there is one recently launched channel that is squashing the current narrative and proving to be a major success story: Univision Deportes Network.

Launched earlier in the decade, the channel took its time to take root, as one would expect. But carriage agreements with major carriers has been key. Additional distribution for Univision Deportes Network has been one of the main reasons Univision has reported quarterly profits over the past year, so it is easy to see why network programmers have been steadily moving their sports properties off the over the air channels, Univision and UniMas.

The ratings for the Club America win over their arch rival Guadalajara have been announced. And the broadcast took all other soccer games to the woodshed

For those who are math disabled, the Cremas-Cabras Clásico has 6 times the audience of the nationally broadcast MLS games, and nearly 4 times the audience of one of the US’ most popular sides, Manchester United, and their draw with the hammers in the FA Cup.

The ratings may have been even higher were it not for a carriage dispute between AT&T and Univision. Those folks on U-Verse did not get to see America’s 2-0 win at all.

It would have been unspeakable just a few years ago to air the biggest, most important match of the Liga MX calendar on anything other than Univision, but the runaway success of UDN has changed the paradigm. The momentum will carry through, at least through the summer as Copa America will also air on the Univision family of networks.

Despite the great news, it is not all flowers and sunshine for Univision, However. Telemundo outbid Univision for the rights to the World Cup starting in 2018. Telemundo will have very large shoes to fill. UDN’s coverage of Brazil14 was easily the most comprehensive (and best) in the history of US televison.